Aggregate receiving and conveying machine



J1me 2 c. L. STODOLKA ETAL 2,600,583

AGGREGATE RECEIVING AND CONVEYING MACHINE Filed my a, 1949 2SHEETS-SI-IEET 1 IN VEN TORS CYlzn. LJSTODOLKAg JAMES RSTonoLKn IwoeuswJu 1952 c. STODOLKA ETAL 2,500,538

AGGREGATE RECEIVING AND CONVEYING MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 8,1949 Patented June 17, 1952 AGGREGATE RECEIVING AND CONVEYING MACHINECyril L. Stodolka and James P. Stodolka, Little Falls, Minn.

Application July 8, 1949, Serial No. 103,713

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to machines for spreading or distributingmaterials over the surface of roads, and more particularly to a machineadapted for use in spreading or scattering fine aggregate material overroad surfaces after they have been oiled or otherwise suitably prepared.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedself-propelled aggregate-receiving and conveying machine for spreadingor distributing materials over road surfaces, said machine beingrelatively simple in construction, easy to control, and arranged so thatthe operator has a clear view of operations near the machine at alltimes, making it possible for him to accurately steer the machine alonga desired course.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved aggregatespreading machine wherein the operator has complete control of theconveying and distributing portion of the machine at all times, and in aposition to supply the distributing portion with as much aggregate as isrequired for the operation being performed, the machine enabling a roadsurface to be sanded or covered with fine aggregate with a minimumamount of labor on the part of the operator, and requiring no specialskill on the part of the drivers of the dump trucks which supply themachine with aggregate material to be spread.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedself-propelled aggregateconveying and spreading machine which is easilysteerable, which provides a high degree of visibility for the operatorduring the sanding or aggregate-spreading process, making it possible tooperate the machine at close quarters, and which may be loaded by theuse of conventional dump trucks or other loading equipment.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a selfpropelled,aggregate-receiving and conveying machine constructed in'accordance withthe present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the machine illustrated inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the machine of Figure 1 takenfrom the side opposite to that on which Figure 1 is taken;

Figure 4 is front end elevational view of the machine of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on lin 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises a frame or chassis I]provided with the ground-engaging front wheels I 2 and rear wheels l3,the rear wheels being driven in a conventional manner from a motor [4carried on the chassis, and the front wheels I2 being steered by aconventional steering mechanism controlled by a steering wheel I5located forwardly adjacent the operators seat, shown at H5. The drivingmechanism for the rear wheels l3 includesv a conventional transmission I1 having an operating lever I8 controlled through a suitable linkage bya hand lever l9.

Positioned longitudinally of and upon the chassis II and fixedly securedthereto is a frame 20, the frame being arranged at an angle with respectto the chassis and having its lower end projecting from and terminatingat a point spaced below the forward end of the chassis and having itsupper end contiguous to and spaced above the rear end of the chassis. Ahopper 2| for containing aggregate is superimposed upon and spaced fromthe portion of the frame 20 adjacent the projecting end thereof and isfixedly secured to the frame, the hopper including a floor a andupstanding front and rear walls 260, 26 respectively, arranged inconverging spaced relation and attached to the floor 25a. The floor 25ahas an opening 25 intermediate its sides which extends longitudinallyinwardly from the end of the floor adjacent the rear wall 26 to andterminates in the end of the floor adjacent the front wall 26a, theopening being for the discharge of the aggregate therethrough. In therear wall 26 intermediate its sides there is an opening 28 which extendsfrom a point adjacent the top to the bottom and merges into the opening25. A gate 21 bridges the opening 28 and is connected to the rear wall26 for up and down movement with respect to the floor 25a. The gate 21may be held in an adjusted open position, as by a bolt member 29extending through the upper portion of gate 2'! and engaging the topedge of wall 26, as shown in Figure 5.

Designated at 30 is an endless conveyor belt supported at itsintermediate portions on spaced sets of transverse rollers 3| rotatablycarriedby frame 20. Rotatably mounted on the ends of frame 20 are therespective transverse shafts 32 and 33 carrying the respective drums 34and 35 over which the belt 30 passes. Shaft 32 is coupled to the wormconveyor shaft 22 by a shaft element 39 connected at one end to conveyorshaft 32 by a universal joint 40 and connected at its other end by auniversal joint 4| through a coupling device 36 to the shaft 22. Saidcoupling device provides a speed reduction of shaft 22 with respect toshaft 32, and may comprise, for example, a small sprocket carried byshaft 32 coupled by a sprocket chain to a large sprocket carried byshaft element 39. Accordingly the belt will be driven at a speed inexcess of the speed of the shaft 22 of the helical worms 23, 24 toprevent accumulation of the'aggregate on the belt 30. The couplingmechanism is arranged so that clockwise rotation of shaft 32, as viewedin Figure 5, produces counterclockwise rotation of shaft 22, wherebymaterial will be moved from the side portions of hopper 2| toward thedischarge opening 25. It is to be noted that the conveyor belt 30includes top and lower flights with the top flight directly below andforming a movable floor for the opening 25, whereby the material will bedeposited on the belt and will be moved thereby out of the hopperthrough the rear wall opening 28 thereof.

' Secured to the side of frame 20 adjacent the drivers seat it is avertical longitudinal shield plate 31 protecting the driver againstinjury from stray fragments of the material carried on the Rotatablymounted on chassis H adjacent frame 20 is a longitudinal shaft 38connected through a conventional speed-changing transmission unit 42 anda universal joint 43 to a shaft element 44. 'Shaftelement 44 is coupledthrough a suitable speed-reducing unit 45 to the belt conveyor driveshaft 33. Designated at 46 is the driving portion of a conventionalclutch rotatively mounted with respect to shaft 38 and coupled to thecrankshaft of engine 14 by V-belts 41. Splined on shaft 38 is the drivenportion 48 of the clutch. Any suitable control linkage may be employedto engage driven clutch portion 48 with driving clutch portion 48, asfor example, a collar '49 rotatably and slidably mounted on shaft 33having links connected to a ring bearing axially on the driven portion48. Collar 49 is connected to an arm 50 carried by a transverse shaft 5!rotatably mounted in frame 25. On the opposite side of frame 20, shaft5| carries an upstanding arm 52 connected by alink bar 53 to a handlever 54 which is pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the platemember 31, as indicated at 10, and has its lower end pivotally connectedto the adjacentend of the link bar 53. The driven portion 48 of theclutch may be engaged or disengaged from the driving clutch portion 45by means of the hand lever 54. When driven portion 46 is engaged withdriving portion 46, shaft 33 is rotated, causing the belt conveyor tomove and at a the same time causing the auger shaft 22 to be materialdeposited thereon outwardly from the center portion of the spreader.Said auger elements are carried on atransverse shaft 59' coupledbysprockets and a sprocket chain 60 to the shaft ofthe ground-engagingwheels 6| of the spreader, sothatthe auger shaft 59 is rotatedautomatically as the wheels El roll on the ground. The rate of dischargeof spreader 5G is regulated by means of a hand lever 62 linked to thedischarge gate of the spreader.

Since the device is self propelled, it is merely necessary to load thehopper 2| with the desired aggregate material, by ordinary dump trucksor the like, and thereafter the operator of the device may steer thedevice along the desired course upon which the material is to be spread.By engaging the clutch elements 45 and 48 by means of lever 54, theoperator may initiate the operation of the conveyor belt 30 and causethe material to be moved into chute 55 and thence by gravity into thespreader 56. The various components of the machine are at all times infull t view of the operator, and the road or other surface to be coveredis likewise always within view of the operator. Therefore, the machinemay be accurately steered over the oiled road surface or other surfacebeing treated without requiring an additional operator to guide themachine. Corners or turns may be readily negotiated due to thesteer-ability of the machine. The spreader device 56 may be readilyunhitched and replaced in the event of breakdown. Due to the highvisibility from the operators seat, the machine may be closelycontrolled, making it possible to 'operate same in restricted locations.

Although a specific embodiment of a self-propelled, aggregate-spreadingmachine has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will beunderstood that various modifications within the spirit of the inventionmay occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that nolimitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an aggregate receiving and conveying machine, a mobile chassisadapted to traverse a road to be surfaced, a frame positionedlongitudinally of and upon said chassis and fixedly secured to thelatter, said frame being arranged at an angle with respect to saidchassis and having its lower end projecting from and terminating at apoint spaced below the forward end of said chassis and having its upperend contiguous to and spaced above the rear end of said chassis, ahopper superimposed upon and spaced from the portion of said frameadjacent the projecting end thereof and fixedly secured to said framefor containing aggregate, said hopper including a fioor and up standingfront and rear walls arranged in converging spaced relation and attachedto said floor, there being an opening in said floor intermediate itssides and extending longitudinally inwardly from the end of said flooradjacent said rear wall to and terminating in the end of said flooradjacent said front wall for the discharge of aggregate therethrough, anendless conveyor including top and lower flights extendinglongitudinally of and rotatably supported in said frame and having thetop flight directly below and forming a movable floor for said opening,said rear wall having an opening intermediate its sides and extendingfrom a point adjacent the top to the bottom and merging into said firstnamed opening, a gate bridging said rear wall opening and connected tosaid rear wall for up and down movement with respect to said floor,rotatable opposed screws in said hopper arranged in parallel relationwith respect to said front wall and contiguous to said floor for feedingthe aggregate into said first named opening, a chute positioned belowthe upper end of said frame and fixedly secured to said chassis for thereception of the conveyed aggregate, and drive means operativelyconnected to the said conveyor and said opposed screws for effecting therotary movements of said conveyor and said opposed screws.

2. In an aggregate receiving and conveying machine, a mobile chassisadapted to traverse a road to be surfaced, a frame positionedlongitudinally of and upon said chassis and fixedly secured to thelatter, said frame being arranged at an angle with respect to saidchassis and having its lower end projecting from and terminating at apoint spaced below the forward end of said chassis and having its upperend contiguous to and spaced above the rear end of said chassis, ahopper superimposed upon and spaced from the portion of said frameadjacent the projecting end thereof and fixedly secured to said framefor containing aggregate, said hopper including a floor and upstandingfront and rear walls arranged in converging spaced relation and attachedto said floor, there being an opening in said floor intermediate itssides and extending longitudinally inwardly from the end of said fiooradjacent said rear wall to and terminating in the end of said fiooradjacent said front wall for the discharge of aggregate therethrough, anendless conveyor including top and lower flights extendinglongitudinally of and rotatably supported on said frame and having thetop flight directly below and forming a movable fioor for said opening,said rear wall having an opening intermediate its sides and extendingfrom a point adjacent the top to the bottom and merging into said firstnamed opening, a gate bridging said rear wall opening and connected tosaid rear wall for up and down movement with respect to said floor, abolt extending through and supported in said gate adjacent the upper endand engageable with the top of said rear wall for holding said gate inthe up movement position, rotatable opposed screws in said hopperarranged in parallel relation with respect to said front wall contiguoustosaid floor for feeding the aggregate into said first named opening, achute positioned below the upper end of said frame and fixedly securedto said chassis for the reception of the conveyed aggregate, and drivemeans operatively connected to said conveyor and said opposed screws foreffecting the rotary movements of said conveyor and said opposed screws.

3. In an aggregate receiving and conveying machine, a. mobile chassisadapted to traverse a road to be surfaced, a frame positionedlongitudinally of and upon said chassis and fixedly secured to 6 thelatter, said frame being arranged at an angle with respect to saidchassis and having its lower end projecting from and terminating at apoint spaced below the forward end of said chassis and having its upperend contiguous to and spaced above the rear end of said chassis, ahopper superimposed upon and spaced from the portion of said frameadjacent the projecting end thereof and fixedly secured to said framefor containing aggregate, said hopper including a fioor and upstandingfront and rear walls arranged in converging spaced relation and attachedto said floor, there being an opening in said floor intermediate itssides and extending longitudinally inwardly from the end of said flooradjacent said rear wall to and terminating in the end of said flooradjacent said front wall for the discharge of aggregate therethrough, anendless conveyor including top and lower flights extendinglongitudinally of and rotatably supported in said frame and having thetop flight directly below and forming a movable floor for said opening,said rear wall having an opening intermediate its sides and extendingfrom a point adjacent the top to the bottom and merging into said firstnamed opening, rotatable opposed screws in said hopper arranged inparallel relation with respect to said front wall and contiguous to saidfloor for feeding the aggregate into said first named opening, a chutepositioned below the upper end of said frame and fixedly secured to saidchassis for the reception of the conveyed aggregate, and drive meansoperatively connected to said conveyor and said opposed screws forefiecting the rotary movements of said conveyor and said screws.

CYRIL L. STODOLKA.

JAMES P. STODOLKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,375,080 Chappel Apr. 19, 19211,764,019 Hardenbergh June 17, 1930 1,924,825 Young Aug. 29, 19332,332,688 Baily Oct. 26, 1943 2,456,237 Acton Dec. 14, 1948 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 794,875 France Feb. 27, 1936

